The Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) held its annual event in March in Shanghai, hosted by the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre. SHPBASC is the single Fixed-base operator (FBO) at the Hongqiao International Airport, and the conference was a golden chance for Hawker to show its spots.
“What other FBO in the world gets to have 6,000 of its primary customers come and have an opportunity to see the facility up close and in person for three days?” said Carey Matthews, Shanghai Hawker Pacific’s general manager. “It cost us a lot of time and energy, but it is a superb opportunity to help aviation grow in China and also for us to grow in Shanghai.”
The conference was a sold-out smash hit, taking up the maintenance hangar for the displays while its ramp held a large exhibition pavilion. Also on hand were a large number of OEM chalets and the static displays of upwards of 30 large model business jets. The organizers said that next year should bring even more attendees who are attracted to the prospect of even more planes on exhibit.
It is expected that ABACE will utilize the venue for the next several years to come. Matthews says that this location can accommodate as many as 80 aircraft on the south ramp without interfering with the airports normal traffic.
